Most Important things to learn to crush online MTT's
Here is a list of topics to study to become a better NLH MTT player.
Topics
1. Poker Terms
2. EV
3. Hand Ranges
4. Pokerstove
5. Using a HUD
* Yodabatmanvideo on hud basics * Darbday
6. Bet sizing
7. Fold equity
8. Game/hand analysis
* Different Kind of strategy * Darbday
9. Creating effective notes
* Notes example * Darbday
10.Effective Stacks
11.Short stack game
12.Nash
13.Mid stack game
14.Restealing (3bet shoving)
15.Deep stack game
16.Preflop opening ranges
17.Preflop 3betting ranges(value or bluff)
18.Preflop Flatting ranges
19.Position
20.Cbetting/flop textures
21.Short handed play
22.Blind defense
23.Stealing Blinds
24.ICM
25.Bubble Play
26.Final Table
27.HU Play
28.Dealing with tilt
29.Being Patient
30.Dealing with Variance
31.Bankroll Management
32.Volume
New Links will be marked with a *
If you see something that may need to be added, Please feel free to suggest your topic.
***updated 26/08/2012***
Topics
1. Poker Terms
2. EV
3. Hand Ranges
4. Pokerstove
5. Using a HUD
* Yodabatmanvideo on hud basics * Darbday
6. Bet sizing
7. Fold equity
8. Game/hand analysis
* Different Kind of strategy * Darbday
9. Creating effective notes
* Notes example * Darbday
10.Effective Stacks
11.Short stack game
12.Nash
13.Mid stack game
14.Restealing (3bet shoving)
15.Deep stack game
16.Preflop opening ranges
17.Preflop 3betting ranges(value or bluff)
18.Preflop Flatting ranges
19.Position
20.Cbetting/flop textures
21.Short handed play
22.Blind defense
23.Stealing Blinds
24.ICM
25.Bubble Play
26.Final Table
27.HU Play
28.Dealing with tilt
29.Being Patient
30.Dealing with Variance
31.Bankroll Management
32.Volume
New Links will be marked with a *
If you see something that may need to be added, Please feel free to suggest your topic.
***updated 26/08/2012***
Comments
Lol, Can you spare some?:D
Thank you, I have Added re-shoving to the list.
7. Poker Terms ( )
1. EV ( )
2. Hand Ranges ( )
5. Pokerstove ( )
26.Using a HUD ( )
14.Bet sizing ( )
15.Fold equity ( )
27.Game/hand analysis ( )
Notes
3. Effective Stacks ( )
9. Short stack game ( )
Nash
8. Mid stack game ( )
Restealing (3bet shoving)
6. Deep stack game ( )
Preflop
opening ranges
3betting ranges(value or bluff)
Flatting ranges
21.Position ( )
Cbetting/flop textures
22.Short handed play ( )
20.Blind defense ( )
13.Stealing Blinds ( )
19.ICM ( )
10.Bubble Play ( )
11.Final Table ( )
12.HU Play ( )
These 3 below are parts of each of the above:
23.Early Game ( )
24.Mid Game ( )
25.Late game ( )
These are (inversely) proportional to knowledge of all of the above:
16.Dealing with tilt ( )
17.Being Patient ( )
18.Dealing with Variance ( )
Not as necessary as people think, but certainly should come last: 4. Volume( )
(which features?). Going to start researching some and the topics in threads could be a great time saver.
Thank you darb for refining my list! I went though my list and with what I had listed before you changed it up, my rankings were about the same as yours.
I like how you added the pre flop Topics, I was just thinking they were part of some of the other topics listed.
I understand that the early, mid and late game kinda go with everything else. Reading a little theory on them wouldn't do no harm, maybe even help answer a few questions I have about the other topics during those stages. I will still take some time to read up on them, but not make them as high of priority as others.
The reason I added dealing with variance, being patient and dealing with tilt is because in the past I have set a daily schedule to play an x amount of games, but mid way through the day I have something bad happen to me which tilts me. Or I get 3/4 of the way through the day and I havent seen great results so I start becoming impatient, trying to force things to happen. I`m not quite a machine yet. I just want to read up on what other players are doing to help themselves during a session.
Now that I have a solid list of topics I can research, I will now create an outline for my training schedule.
If anyone has anything else to add to the list, pls feel free to add it.
To date the only tools I have utilized are PT, notepad, tracking sites, the forums and some of the Pokerstars integrated tools.
1.Poker Tracker 4 - The HUD in PT is amazing it helps me put players on ranges, spot weaker players and helps pin point spots to exploit. The database side of the program is equally great, I use it for hand review, game review, BR management, spotting trends in my game and creating profiles on opponents.
As get more familiar with the program I have discovered that it is more useful than what I have used it for. Therefore I think I should read up on it some more.
2. Notepad - Darb suggested a while back that plrs should keep notepad open while playing to keep notes. Not so much note on player, but notes about the game. I have quite a few documents to date that I use to date that help me in certain spots. I also add info that receive from the forums in those documents.
3. Tracking sites - I find these sites are great to start a profile on your opponents while playing. Understanding who you`re playing at the time is crucial information. I also use the rankings on these sites to see how I`m doing versus the rest of poker community.
4. The Forums - Although I don`t Post enough hands in the review section of the forums, you can improve a lot by discussing hands with others. Once I get going again I will try to be a help to others(even if I look like an idiot) and post more of my speculative hands for analysis.
5. Pokerstars Integrated Tools - Creating and utilizing the PS colors helps you identify your opponents, which make life a little easier. Their filters are great to help you with BR management and also I like to use their notepad to jot down player tendencies.(going to start using the PT4 notepad though, you lose all of your notes if something happens with PS)
And yes over the next week I will be searching the treads to find info on my topics also going to sign up for a training site for videos.
lol you may be on to something!:o
thanks everyone for contributing thus far
As requested, I have cleaned up the list and took out my spiel about myself.
I have added Bankroll management to the list again.
Looking at the list now, should we add some Turn and River topics. We have preflop and flop covered, but nothing on turn and river. Or am I getting ahead myself?
Darb have you ever used equilab? If so, what are your thoughts? It was recommended to me instead of using pokerstove.
The bold part is what I like as I am the same as you, with full tilt coming back I may start playing again.
One question for anyone is how about something on betting patterns of your opponents? I think this is something that I have lost or would this be under hand ranges?
Right now I am just watching games right now on stars and seeing if I can pick up on stuff and see if I can still say oh he has this before showdown, etc etc. So maybe just watch games yourself and see how people are playing in situations.:)
graphs?
Please correct me if I'm wrong! IMO Some of the Betting patterns would fall under learning a HUD and some of it would fall under Bet Sizing. When you use a HUD it displays your opponents bet frequency for a specific spot. You can use this value to exploit them in different spots. As for Bet sizing patters, they should be very apparent when you pay attention to how they bet vs different board textures. We can now include this into Board Textures as well! When you do find a pattern, make a note of it and act accordingly to the unusual bet.
Thanks for the interest in this thread, BTW GTA needs graphs
Flop textures can be learned from taking notes, because as you learn your own shorthand you develop patterns from it. Soon you start to notice cbetting frequencies and ranges vs. these patterns and calling flop frequencies vs your cbet.
When I write the flop out its often like: Axx, Kxx, xxy, AKx. Axx tt (two toned), JTx mono, etc.
Also as a preliminary to more advanced patterning we can decide simply if the flop is wet or dry. We'll bluff on dry flops and value/protect usually on wetter flop.
Oliver Improva did the best explanation of texture I've seen so far (I feel like maybe ninkachu did one too). He has some video where he pwns six max table with his whole cards hidden. And he suggests its one of the best was not only to learn about flop textures but what boards to cbet and double barrel. -
And yes you are bang on about the role of notes. Another note you can always have the V suggested to me is notes on normal things players do, for example if you know a player cbets 1/2 pot with ak on axx dry (which is std.), you know hes not likely checking it back.
When we play poker we make our standard winrate, when we take a note on a player and learn something that rate goes up, and you win more compared to others. When you use a note to make more correct decisions than you would if you didn't' have that note...you gain even more.
LOL at the GTA part, he needs something alright, along with his buddies wetts,constanza and Hobbes, but it's not graphs.:D
I am honestly thinking of going back to playing without a hud. (To start anyway).
Couldn't hurt